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Senpet
The Senpet Empire, the Empire of the Scarab, was an ancient nation north-west of the Burning Sands, roughly the size of Rokugan, ruled by a Pharaoh. Their history claimed they were the first humans to construct a building anywhere, and any visitor could witness the majesty of their architecture. They worshipped a pantheon of Ten Thousand Gods, many of which were divine aspects of death. Live Action Roleplaying, p. 190 The Empire lied along the Nahr'umar river, downstream from Medinat al-Salaam. Secrets of the Unicorn, pp. 81 Details Territory Half of the Senpet Empire existed on the desert itself, while the rest of the Empire existed on arable land. Two large rivers and occasional rainfall had kept the people of the Scarab alive for over a thousand years. The Senpet Appearance The Senpet had tan skins, dark straight hair, round eyes, and dressed in simple garments of white cotton. Their nobles wore abundant gold jewelry and elaborate facial makeup, their soldiers wore light armor and fought with either bows or spears and shields. They were an extremely militaristic people, but not conquerors, and generally left their neighbors in peace so long as those neighbors did the same. Emerald Empire; Fourth Edition, p. 256 Worship The Senpet were a highly religious people, and their constant prayer to the Ten Thousand Gods heightened their connections with the spiritual world. Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, p. 211 The Senpet believed the Ten Thousand Gods controled all aspects of the world, and each of them attempted to advise mortals on how to live. In the Senpet view, it was simply a pity that only they were wise enough to listen to the Gods' words. These divinities were associated with the stars in the night sky, and encompassed forces such as deception, truth, love, justice, and death. The Senpet consulted the gods and asked for their approval, doing anything to appease their deities, including conducting regular human sacrifices. The Senpet believed that at the beginning of the world, nothing was there except for Shilah and Kaleel, the Sun and the Moon. They existed together during this First Age, a time of power, magic, and mystery. Mere mortals could not understand the events that occurred during the First Age, and it served as the foundation of all creation and magic in the world. Cultural Arrogance The Senpet were wholly secure in the belief fact that they were the most important people in the world, a belief in their own cultural superiority. This cultural arrogance was seen in their art, where traitors or foreigners were the only shown as targets of the gods' cruelty. Senpet were always depicted as proud, victorious, and isolated from the rest of the world. On the other hand, the Senpet were some of the most honorable people in the Burning Sands. Once a Senpet gave his word, he would try his best to fulfill it. Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, p. 209 Language The nobility and clergy used the Senpet language, and the merchants the Mekhen, the common language on the Burning Sands. All the Senpet learned the Mekhen. Organization The political structure of the Senpet Empire was very simple. The Pharaoh was the absolute power of the land and his words were final. While his advisors and judges could spend countless hours poring over counsel and arguments, it all meant nothing if they failed to convince the Pharaoh. He was the final arbiter, the head of the religion and the leader of the Senpet armies. In short, the Pharaoh controled everything in the empire. The farmers could be levied at any time it was necessary to finish a state project. Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, pp. 204-205 When a Pharaoh died his body was entombed in a giant stone pyramid. Social structure The Senpet society was based in a rigid caste system, and the fate of its citizens was determined since their birth. In its peak was the Pharaoh, followed by his family, the priests of the Ten Thousand Gods, the nobles, the merchants, and the farmers. The nobles were the landowners and his lands were worked by the farmers. Those who wished to follow a political career began as scribes or another bureaucratic post. Those who had military ambitions joined the army, buying their own equipment. Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, p. 204 Slavery The lowest cast were the slaves, who had few rights. They worked the lands and mines until their death. The children of slaves would be also slaves during their whole life. Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, p. 205 Religious structure The priests were over the nobles, but once they joined the clergy they could not do anything more, limiting their possibilities to become more important in the Senpet society. Military Structure Before the Yodotai Invasion of Senpet lands, the Senpet Empire boasted of a highly trained and loyal army that numbered in the hundreds of thousands. These warriors could fight in any situation, regardless of whether they were in the middle of the desert or in the mountains of the Yobanjin. The Senpet Legionnaire was the paragon of skilled ruthlessness. History First Age The Senpet believed Shilah, the Sun, and Kaleel, the Moon created the world and its creatures. The place later known as the Burning Sands was a lush and fertile land. Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, p. 199 Second Age Shilah and Kaleel created the stars, and the fundamental truths that ruled the life. Deception, truth, love, justice, and death were shaped, and gained power drawing it from their influence on the day to day life of the mortals. The Senpet called these forces the Ten Thousand Gods. First Jinn War The jinn, children of the Sun and Moon, staged a coup against her parents led by the Jinn Lord Kaleel, and began a reign of fear and pain. The mortals and Ashalan joined to fight the evil, and used the Hakhim's Seal to free Shilah from her prison, but the Sun had become mad in her solitude. She enacted the Day of Wrath, transformed the area in the Burning Sands, and defeating the Jinn. Founding the Senpet After the Day of Wrath, in the Third Age, several groups of human wandered the Burning Sands looking for water and farmable land. One of them was led by Senpet, and after marching inland the found the Nahr'umar river, and built a city, calling it Senpet, in honor of their leader who had brought them here. Senpet Empire In the year 30 the Senpet Empire was created. They took the scarab as their emblem, a creature that had survived the wrath of Shilah. They built many shrines and altars to the Gods, and this was the true origin of the Ten Thousand Gods. The Senpet Sahirs discovered how to master the power of the jinn and used it against their enemies. In the year 60 was founded the capital, the Great Eye of the Desert. In the year 110 they built the Great Pyramids. Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, pp. 199-200 Mekhem Shinsei had gone to the Burning Sands under the name of Mekhem, and the first people he visited had healed his wounds using the poison of a scarab. He named them the people of the Senpet and they were rewarded with his wisdom. Lands of the Senpet (LBS - Shadow of the Tyrant flavor) Immortal sorcerers In the 6th century Senpet sorcerers developed a ritual that allowed them to become immortal, they never aged. A known system was the one used by Hab-Utet, to remove his own reproductive powers into himself. No much more details were known, but instead father children, he used his vitality to selfishly prolong his own life. To avoid a severe drawback of the process, he had to kill several women, and the Senpet attacked him, but Hab-Utet managed to fled. City of Lies: GM's Guide, pp. 16-17 Disease Contagion In the 10th century a scouting Senpet ship arrived a port of the Thrane Empire. It carried explorers who intended to make peaceful contact. Sadly, the Senpet failed to realize that they carried with them certain diseases, diseases that their own people had been immune to for many centuries. Almost immediately after landing here, people began to die. The Senpet did what they could to save them, but that was not much. The Thrane Empire disappeared and the nearly kingdom of Merenae was able to survive from the plague. Lost at Sea, by Shawn Carman and Rich Wulf Isolation The Senpet Empire remained apart from other empires, spending their time and resources in building. It made them to lost many opportunities, and eventually it had worked to chip away at the foundations of their civilization. For centuries, the Empire of the Scarab built the very trade routes, but their importance diminished while the trade center of Medinaat al-Salaam raised. It gave to the Caliph the key to trade across the sands. The Senpet, by Patrick Kapera In the 9th century a trade route with the Ivory Kingdoms was built. Trade Route (LBS - Shadow of the Tyrant flavor) The caravans came with their spices, but also with the maddened Ruhmalist assassins. Spices (LBS - Shadow of the Tyrant flavor) Lack of Food and Water In the 11th century their supplies of food and water had been dwindling, and it continued for almost fifty years entering in the 12th century. Secrets of the Unicorn, p. 83 In 1128 a severe draught happened. If the trend continued for another fifty, the Senpet Empire would disappear. Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, p. 201 There was concern that, finding themselves in desperate straits, they could turn their might against Rokugan. Alliance with the Caliph The Pharaoh Hensatti turned her eyes to the Jewel of tke Desert. In 1129 she made an alliance with the Immortal Caliph Hanan Talibah including rights to purchase as many businesses as they would like. In return they would help defend the Caliph from any outside threats, Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, p. 201 renewing the strength of the city guard and providing the city with a standing army LBS - The Rise of the Caliph, by Patrick Kapera located in the barracks of the Senpet Garrison. Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, p. 87 Senpet began to buy states in the Jewel and some said they owned half of the city buildings. The Tale of the Robber and the Caliph (Rulebook Story, LBS - Shadow of the Tyrant), by Patrick Kapera Senpet placed the symbol of their nation, the scarab, on obelisks at street corners wherever they were permitted to live. Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, p. 89 Scorpion Exile and Moto War In 1130 on a routine surveillance of the lands surrounding the Jewel of the Desert, the Senpet met a group armed and headed in Medinaat al-Salaam's direetion. The general Abresax attacked them, who were the Scorpion Clan and their escort during their banishment to the Burning Sands. The Rokugani were taken as slaves. The Senpet were returning from their victory over the Scorpion Clan when the Moto Clan descended upon them, to free their distant Rokugani cousins. The Senpet made short work of the raiders, who retreated, leaving the Senpet to recognize them as a future threat. The Moto-Senpet War had begun. Caliph's Death Several groups enemy of the Caliph and the Senpet allied in the Erba'a Alliance. Re-Awakening, Part 1, by Lucas Twyman The Senpet defended the city and the Caliph during the Shattering of the Jewel. As the battles ended with the defeat of the Caliph and her henchmen, even the Senpet, Ivory Kingdoms Ruhmal worshippers, and city folk turned on the Khadi. Enemy of My Enemy (LBS - The Awakening flavor) Yodotai Invasion The Yodotai empire crushed the Senpet in a lengthy and bloody war, from 1140 to 1160. The Great Eye was conquered and the last Pharaoh, Hensatti died in the fight. The Senpet Empire was eventually absorbed into the Yodotai. Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, p. 203 A former Senpet Sahir who had become a Yodotai, Galerius, was appointed as the Yodotai Governor of the Senpet lands. Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, p. 227 Resistance The Yodotai abolished the religion of the Ten Thousand Gods and an uprising of the Senpet people was crushed. About half of the Senpet most elite forces went into hiding and led a guerrilla war against the Yodotai. In 1165 they moved to Medinaat Al-Salaam, and surviving Senpet leaders, such as Kesseth, plotted against the invaders, hiding within the local Senpet population, a mixed of refugees, Yodotai collaborators and families settled from the time of Immortal Caliph onwards. Senpet slavery The Senpet people began to know what really was the slavery, when they became slaves themselves. Since their defeat was not unusual the only slaves were the Senpet. Known Schools and Paths * Avatar of Ten Thousand * Ghul Destroyer * Ghul Hunter * Senpet Charioteer * Senpet Legionnaire * Senpet Sahir Category:Senpet